Masi, Mr. Speaker. As I alluded to in my Member's statement about the on-the-land treatment program, so I do have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Mr. Speaker, the first question I have is: how many treatment facilities has the GNWT operated and subsequently shut down over the past 25 years? Masi.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories has a contract right now with four treatment facilities in the South to provide addiction treatments to Northwest Territories residents. They include the Poundmaker's Lodge, which is located in St. Alberta, Alberta; there is the Fresh Start Recovery Centre, which is located in Calgary, Alberta; the Aventa Treatment Centre for Women, which is also in Calgary, Alberta; and the Edgewood Treatment Centre, which is in Nanaimo. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
If the Minister can provide the detailed breakdown over the past 25 years, that would be great. The second question I have is: how much does the Minister's department spend annually to send Northerners out of the territory for residential addiction treatment programming? Mr. Speaker, the Minister has referred to four treatment program down south, treatment centres. How much do we spend on an annual basis?
On an annual basis for facility-based treatment, addiction treatment in 2016-2017, we spent $2.2 million and change; 2017-2018, $2.7 million and change; and 2018-2019, we spent $3 million and change. Within those, we have a number of clients who have completed their treatments. It averages about 170 clients a year.
I'd like to thank the Minister for providing that information. As you've heard, it is climbing up every year, almost $500,000 every year, that money. Obviously, it is a worthwhile initiative, but at the same time it should be happening in our region, as well. I would like to touch on the next two questions pertaining to that. The third question I have is: what plans does the Minister have to finally establish a truly successful residential treatment centre here in the territory, involving on-the-land treatment approaches and an integrated system or community-based follow-up and support program?
On an annual basis, we spend about $2 million to support Indigenous governments to be able to deliver on-the-land-based aftercare programs and community-based mental health and addictions programs. Let me just give you an example of some of the successes we have with the on-the-land programs. We have the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation's Project Jewel, which is an on-the-land camp; plus, it is addictions and aftercare. There is also the Tlicho Government, who has a men's camp. Salt River First Nations in the past had a mobile addiction treatment program in partnership with Poundmaker's. Those are just several examples of some successful programs that have happened in the Northwest Territories as a result of providing on-the-land funding to Indigenous groups.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. It's great to invest $2 million, but that's for the whole territory. As you can imagine, there are 33 communities and various regions we have to deal with. When you do a calculation, just on the $200,000 per group, that's not enough. We're spending $2 or $3 million sending money elsewhere, out of the territory. It should be invested in the Northwest Territories. My final question, Mr. Speaker, is: in the past, we had Nechi training through Poundmaker's in the Tlicho region back in the early 1990s, and we've had upwards of 26 qualified counsellors graduate out of this program. It has been very successful training with the experts from Poundmaker's, the Nechi training, utilizing their expertise. I'm just wondering, Mr. Speaker, if the Minister is willing to approach the re-establishing of this kind of on-the-land treatment program in our region similar to what we've done with the Nechi training back in the 1990s in the Tlicho region, which produced a lot of qualified counsellors. Is she receptive to that? Masi, Mr. Speaker.
Just to clarify, the Department of Health and Social Services provided $17,463,000, and this includes on-the-land programming, facility-based addiction treatment programs, community-based counselling programs, youth addictions programs, withdrawal management models, addictions aftercare, actions in support of addressing homelessness and addictions, and prevention and promotion activities. So, I mean, we all sat here last week as I was going through my department's budget and I just wanted to clarify that we do provide more than just $2 million to any type of program. We actually spend a lot of money on it and, you know, if there are programs or initiatives out there that are successful, absolutely, that is something our department will look at. We are currently in the process of doing an RFP for out-of-territory services, so this is something the department can have a look at. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.
